Crate Training - spiteful puppy?

[Goolia83]

ok - Miss Roxy is 9 1/2 weeks old and we're crate training. My Hubby had to leave for 2 hours, so he put her in her crate with her stuffed kong, blankie, bear and some other chew toys. When he returned she had successfully kept her crate dry!!!!!, but was glaring at Aron, and not very happy to see him. He took her outside right away, but she refused to go pee, so he let her in. As soon as she got up the stairs she followed him into the kitchen, looked up at him and peed!!! While looking at him, and when he picked her up she kept peeing!!! (she usually stops)
I wasn't there, but he thought she looked like she did it to spite him! I couldn't believe it!! Has anyone else seen this?

We are having a hard time with potty training because it's SO cold out right now (Minnesota - currently 16 degrees), but she had the whole family room, long hallway, stair, and living room to go though before she went at his feet in the kitchen.
We have a sweater for her, but she just sits there and shivers, and looks at us like we're crazy! Are we? When I take her in the backyard I run around in the snow and then she thinks it's fun and then usually goes, but only pees there 1/2 of the time.
She knows it's cold outside, so when we're walking to the back door she starts shaking and whining even before we get out there!
I don't know what to do... and winter just started!
Please help!
Julie

 

[jenjones28]

LOL! She sounds like a cutie! Sorry, don't mean to sound insensitive, but she does sound cute. First, she's not trying to be spiteful. She's too young to be getting any of the potty training yet. Think about it from her perspective. Your hubby took her into the kitchen, probably stopped walking for a second, which she took as a cue (I'm assuming when you take her outside, you stop walking so she can pee) and she started peeing. She then looked up at your hubby (See Dad! I'm peeing!) just like she always does when she's outside and she's being told she's a good girl for peeing. Two hours is a long time for her to hold it, so she probably COULDN'T stop peeing when he picked her up.

She probably does think you're crazy for wanting her to go pee outside when it's so cold! LOL! Be patient. She'll get it.

 

[Goolia83]

Yeah, she's very cute! I'm having lots of fun with her, my hubby isn't as pacient, so that's probably why he thought she was being spiteful. I just found out that he felt sorry for her little shivering legs and only had her out for less than a minute before letting her back in... It's his own falt she went when they got upstairs! ! I told him he should have read a few more puppy books before we brought her home!
Thanks for helping me see it from Roxy's point of view!

*if you think that was cute, you should see her play with the cat!!! I still can't believe they're getting along so quickly. Howie(the cat) was helping us crate train today. He likes it more than her, so they were taking turns going in it and eating treats! they even took a nap together on the couch!

 

[Goolia83]

She Did it!!!

Today she got the bell!!!!!! She jingled it with her nose right when we got all the way upstairs after going outside, so we went all the way back out because she finally rang it on her own. Of corse she didn't have to go, she was empty, but 2 hours later she rang it again and we put her outside and she went quicker than I've ever seen her go! YEAH!!

 

[jenjones28]

What a good girl!!

 

[Miska's Mom]

We also live in Minnesota and know the challenges of potty training a puppy!
Miska is our Boxer and she is now 14 weeks. She is actually doing pretty good with potty training - its crate training we are having issues with. We are also using the bell to train her. I am curious - what kind of a bell do you have and where do you have it (hanging?).

 

[KonaKoffe]

When I started with Kona it was cold here last March in Chicago too. Just put on her jacket ( yours too) and stand with her outside until she pees and or poops. Don't play with her, just stand there and say "go pee hurry up hurry up". You know she has to pee. If she doesn't take her in for 5 seconds stand by the door and take her out right away.

 

[CondoPup]

Just put on her jacket ( yours too) and stand with her outside until she pees and or poops. Don't play with her, just stand there and say "go pee hurry up hurry up".

This is exactly right! Don't make it a game otherwise she'll eventually learn that she can get some play time in BEFORE doing her business, and what you need is a dog that does its business first.

One other thing along these same lines, though - they can also learn that once they pee/poop they will be whisked back inside, and deliberately take longer. "Change it up" from time to time. Take her out, stand still until she does her business FIRST, then do something different each time (yes even in the cold! - I'm in Milwaukee so I know this sucks sometimes). Either a short walk (half a block and back is more than enough at 9 weeks!) or do the running around the yard thing, or our favorite is to get out the laser pointer if it is nighttime or there's snow and lead the pup back inside with that. They start to do their business MUCH more efficiently as they know that in addition to praise and a treat, they also get a bit of a surprise and some fun afterward. Sometimes it will just be heading straight indoors but keep them guessing.

 

[CondoPup]

The only other thing, if you want the puppy to learn to go on command, don't start saying "go potty" until they are actually GOING. You don't want them to associate the command "go potty" with just standing still in the snow. Once they squat, then chant "go potty, go potty" while they are doing it, and praise/treat the instant they are done. Guinness now goes on command which is pretty darn handy.

 

[Chadwick]

Don't make it a game otherwise she'll eventually learn that she can get some play time in BEFORE doing her business, and what you need is a dog that does its business first.

they can also learn that once they pee/poop they will be whisked back inside, and deliberately take longer. "Change it up" from time to time. ... in addition to praise and a treat, they also get a bit of a surprise and some fun afterward. Sometimes it will just be heading straight indoors but keep them guessing.

TOTALLY agree here! Also, if her reward for peeing outside is cold feet and snow, well, I can see how that would slow her down! Make sure she gets treats and praise and lots of jumping around joy, seriously. She should have lots more reasons for going OUTSIDE than INSIDE!